Monday, February 3, 2014

It’s
been nearly two years since Paris, My Sweet was published. I still get the
occasional shout-out and fan letter, and nothing makes me happier than reading
them. I also get happy when I read other Paris-based memoirs; I gobble each greedily, enjoying the thrill of visiting the City of Lights through someone
else’s eyes and taste buds. There’s always a new dimension and perspective to
discover, and yet it always brings me back to my two lovely years there.

Such
is the case with Janice MacLeod’s Paris Letters (out tomorrow). I loved reading
it because Janice’s experiences and memories recalled so many of my own, but
also because her path was so different from mine. We were both in our 30s,
working in advertising, and made our way Paris, especially attracted to the
flaneurs and food on the cobblestoned market streets (her, Mouffetard; me,
Montorgeuil). While I thought I might fall in love with a French pastissier
while living there (and, obviously, did not), Janice did fall in love—with a
Polish butcher. They’re now happily married, living in the city of lurve.

What’s
more, Janice made a career for herself in Paris illustrating and writing beautiful letters, some of which are included in the book. This, and her list
of 100 ways you can save money to make your dream a reality, give Paris Letters
that extra shine. She’s talented, cool and loves Paris like the best of us. Read
a little of what Janice had to say about her tale before diving into the book itself.

When you think back to your first days in the
City of Light, what is your most vivid memory?

I remember being so delightfully
baffled when I first came to Paris. On every other street corner I was pulling
out my map, trying to locate myself in reference to the monuments I was
seeking. After about a week of this, I just relaxed and wandered, allowing
myself to get lost. This was when I discovered the quieter Paris, just one
street over from the bustling boulevards. This is where I found swan shaped
desserts in bakeries, violin restoration boutiques, elaborate architectural
details like dragons and angels, and freshly painted street art. And the day I
had a baguette, still warm from the boulangerie… bliss! I couldn’t get over the
fact that the French eat so well every day.

You managed to achieve two
dreams: the dream of going to Paris and falling in love, and the dream of
ditching the unfulfilling job and following your bliss to career-happiness.
Which dream has resonated more with your blog readers? Which do you cherish
more?

Blog readers love the love story, but
they ask loads of questions about how they can ditch their unfulfilling jobs. I
think a lot of people were sitting in cubicles wondering how they can pull it
off, too. I tell them how I did it in Paris Letters. I look back on that time
with great fondness. Saving up enough to quit... that was all me busting out my
brute force for an intense year of restraint, ingenuity and
tight-wad-ism.

For me, finding the lovely Christophe
was the greatest gift in this endeavor. I can’t imagine life with anyone else.
We are so well-suited for each other, despite not speaking the same language.
Even the linguistically hiccups are interesting. I recently describe for him
the massive centipede I came across. I didn’t know the word for centipede so I
used charades. You can’t not be happy when your relationship includes having to
describe a centipede with charades.

You mention sort of “mystical” things
throughout Paris Letters; Do you think you have to be a certain kind of person to have the
faith to move to a foreign city, or do you think anyone with enough moxie (and
discipline to sell most of their personal items and skip dinners out as you
did!) can do it?

I think anyone with enough moxie can
do it. For me, having faith in a sage guide gave me strength to carry on and to
not panic when faced with challenging situations. Moving to a foreign city
isn’t all quaint cobblestone streets. It’s also a labyrinth of subway tunnels
to navigate, pickpockets, safety concerns and language barriers. It’s nice to
imagine guardian angels helping me along and guiding me. I developed this
“conversation” with sage voices in my head back when I was gearing up to leave
my job and live abroad. This skill came in handy. It was a calm guiding voice
that soothed my outer frenetic mind.

What do you value most in the
Parisian lifestyle?

The pedestrian lifestyle. Paris is so
kind in its offerings. Around every bend you’ll find an interesting boutique,
café or boulangerie. Or you’ll come across a fountain or statue. The French
have incorporated so many centuries into the present day. It’s a treasure to
walk this city and discover something new every day. The city itself is a
treasure.

You struggled with the language, as
did I. Now that you’ve been living there for nearly three years, is French
becoming easier?

The learning curve is slower than I
imagined it would be, but I must keep telling myself that my French skills are
much stronger than they were last year, and last year they were much stronger
than the year before. With this reasoning, I must assume I’ll be much stronger
next year. By now, I can get my needs met and have small light conversations,
but I haven’t mastered the language. I try to look at learning it as a hobby.
It’s less daunting that way. They say the best way to learn a language is “on
the pillow.” I admit, it helps that Christophe speaks French. It also helps
that we are patient with each other. We repeat, we describe, and yes, we use
charades. We figure it out.

Any words of advice for other women
who are looking to take that leap and move to Paris?

Start taking language classes now,
even if it’s just language CDs from the library. Tourists may be able to get by
in simple English here for a few days, but living here is entirely different.
You definitely need a basic understanding of the language the moment you get
off the plane.

What’s your favorite arrondissement?

The Latin Quartier, which is the fifth, but that’s likely because it’s my
arrondissement. I love the notion that the world’s biggest thinkers lived in
this arrondissement… and they still do. The Sorbonne students study in cafés, the
Pantheon is the final resting place of many great thinkers, and let’s not
forget Shakespeare & Company, the wonderful English bookstore by the Seine,
across from Notre Dame, hotspot for greats like Hemingway. What’s not to
like?

Favorite café?

Impossible question. There are so
many and for different reasons. When I have tourists visiting, we love Les Deux
Magots. It’s got a nice hustle bustle and great coffee and hot chocolate. When
I’m alone, I find a café with a nice view of the street. Pedestrian-friendly
streets like rue Mouffetard are best. On this street, the coffee and view from
the TournBride café is best (104 rue Mouffetard). When I’m in an unfamiliar
neighborhood, I often seek out Tabac shops. They usually have an old café in
the back that is relatively unchanged from the first day it opened.

Favorite landmark?

Another impossible question. There
are so many. I often stand on Pont Saint-Louis, the bridge that connects the
two islands in the middle of the Seine. From here I can gaze at the flying
buttresses of Notre Dame, watch the boats putter under the bridge, and watch a
busker playing violin or an accordion. It a very peaceful place in Paris right
smack in the middle of Paris. Nearby is the St. Regis Café… another
favorite.

What’s your favorite classic French
dish?

For lunch, I love to pop into a
bistro for a chèvre chaud salad: Warm chunks of goat cheese melting on toast
over a bed of greens. On a rainy day, of which there are many in Paris, I’ll
pop into a bistro at lunch and order the cheesy onion soup. Another favorite is
cassoulet, which is a fancy word for white bean stew. This dish originated in
the south of France but is available everywhere in Paris and each restaurant
seems to have its own version. I’ve never had two of the same.

Favorite pastry, and which
boulangerie/patisserie do you get it from?

Impossible, impossible question! As
you know, there are so many great pastries in Paris.

Fruit Crumble: A simple tart with
pear or apple mixed with raspberry or blueberry (whichever is in season or
looks best to the chef that day), topped with a sweet crumble crust. It doesn’t
look like much but it tastes like heaven. (Maison Morange Boulanger at 123 Rue
Mouffetard.)

Tarte Citron: The best combo of sour
and sweet comes in a tart from a restaurant in the shadow of the Louvre. They
perfected the formula. A nice after-museum treat. (Le Fumoir at 6 Rue de
l'Amiral de Coligny)

Hot chocolate: I have done due
diligence on this one and have concluded that, as everyone always says, Angelina’s
has the best hot chocolate in the city. Sip a thick, rich perfectly blended hot
chocolate in an old Parisian tea room, complete with old Parisian ladies that
dolled themselves up for the occasion. This hot chocolate is an event for
tourists and locals alike. (Angelina’s at 226 Rue de Rivoli)

And anything from Jacques Genin at
133, rue de Turenne. The mango toffee changed my life.

Finally, your favorite journey?

Ah, now this is not impossible at
all. My favorite journey is a simple walk up the street, hand in hand, with the
lovely Christophe, finding a nice café, sitting down and watching the world
walk by.